Armoured glazing, in particular for vehicle fixed or mobile side glazing

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns an armoured laminated bullet-proof and/or splinter-proof glazing, comprising on at least part of its periphery, one or several rigid protuberances ( 3 ), each of which belonging substantially to a plane parallel to that of the window or its extension, and having a thickness for its being inserted at least partially, temporarily or permanently, in the window aperture rabbet.

[0001] This invention relates to a laminated, armored, bulletproofand/or shatterproof glass partition, which may be utilized for theprotection of buildings or armored vehicles such as private vehicles,military vehicles or vehicles for the transport of cash. This type ofglass partition is capable of being installed on vehicles for road,rail, marine or air transport.

[0002] Considerable efforts have been made with a view to improving theresistance of armored glass partitions, in particular with respect toincreasingly heavy bullets and increasingly powerful and concentratedimpacts on a weak surface.

[0003] Several approaches occurred to inventors for improving theballistic performances of these glass partitions.

[0004] In particular, some solutions have been proposed to improve thefastening of aircraft windshields. These do not have to withstandimpacts of bullets, but only birds which may collide with them, andaccordingly have a structure differing in the nature of the componentsof the laminate and more delicate than that of the armored glasspartition now under consideration.

[0005] Thus, the patent U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,630 describes an aircraftwindshield comprising a flexible insert with high mechanical resistance,composed of a strip of fabric of glass fibers impregnated with rubber,or even polyester fibers or stainless steel wires. This insert extendsbeyond the periphery of the windshield and its emerging end is maderigid so as to be bolted to the body of the aircraft.

[0006] The application FR-A1-2 612 174 relates to an aircraft windshieldcomposed of two polycarbonate sheets with a soft interpolatedpolyurethane layer sandwiched between them. Because of the low rigidityof the whole thus constituted, it is not possible to contemplate anassembly identical to that of a glass windshield, by mere clamping inthe fillister, without risking an ejection of the windshield due tosubstantial deformations of the polycarbonate. The document nonethelessmakes such an assembly possible, by proposing to countersink in theperiphery of the interpolated layer a rigid belt, of metal for example,on a level with the edge of the windshield.

[0007] A comparable rigid belt, intended for a glass partition for apressurized aircraft cockpit, comprising two sheets of glass and aninterpolated plastic layer, also is disclosed by patent applicationFR-A1-2 720 029. This belt, also countersunk in the periphery of theinterpolated layer, extends beyond the periphery of the glass partitiononly possibly to cover the edge thereof partially or completely, thebelt then having a corresponding L, respectively T profile.

[0008] According to another approach, the patent U.S. Pat. No. 2,991,207describes an aircraft windshield with improved resistance to impacts ofbirds composed of two sheets of glass and one soft interpolatedpolyvinylbutyral layer. The latter extends beyond the periphery of thesheets of glass; a reinforcement piece, countersunk in the soft layer,extends from the emerging edge thereof to the interior of the laminate,that is, between the sheets of glass.

[0009] Surprisingly, the inventors became aware that the transpositionto the armored glass partitions of the techniques described previouslyrelating to the aircraft windshields, under the specific conditions ofthe invention such as defined below, was capable of improving theirresistance to impacts of bullets or other projectiles from firearms andensuring their holding in the fillisters after the first impact.

[0010] This objective was able to be achieved by the invention which hasas its subject a laminated, armored, bulletproof and/or shatterproofglass partition comprising, over at least a portion of its periphery,one or several rigid protuberances, each of them being perceptiblyinscribed in a plane parallel to that of the glass partition or itsextension and having at least one peripheral portion with a thicknessless than or equal to that of the fillister of the opening for the glasspartition, so as to be able to be inserted therein.

[0011] Said rigid protuberances preferably are in the extension of asingle component sheet of the glass partition or of a single group ofsuch adjacent sheets. In other words, the protuberances are locatedperceptibly in alignment in a single position with respect to thethickness of the glass partition.

[0012] This characteristic facilitates the construction of the framesfor windows or the associated bodies, by allowing the insertion of theprotuberances in a single standard fillister.

[0013] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will becomeevident in the light of the following description of the attacheddrawings, in which FIGS. 1 to 4 respectively are schematicrepresentations of four different embodiments of the invention.

[0014] The glass panel of FIG. 1 is composed, from the outside that isfrom the side at which the impact is likely to occur toward the inside:

[0015] of a vitroceramic sheet 1, 6 mm in thickness,

[0016] of an interpolated adhesive layer 2 of polyvinylbutyral (PVB), 3mm in thickness,

[0017] of a sheet of glass 4

[0018] of an interpolated adhesive layer 5 of PVB,

[0019] of a sheet of glass 6,

[0020] of an interpolated adhesive layer 7 of polyurethane (PU), and

[0021] of a sheet 8 of polycarbonate (PC) the inner surface of whichgenerally is coated with streak-resistant, for examplepolysiloxane-based lacquer, over a thickness equal at the very most to15 μm, but more often on the order of 2 to 7 μm.

[0022] The sheet 8 also is coated, in whole or in part, as need be, witha coloring layer in particular following an upper horizontal strip, orwith any other functional layer customarily applied on the inner surfaceof a windshield.

[0023] The stratified armor structure, composed of sheets and layers 4,5, 6, 7 and 8, has a thickness ranging approximately between 30 and 40mm. In addition, one may consider interpolating, between sheet 6 andlayer 7, successively from the first to the second, one or severalstacks consisting, in order, of a PVB layer then a sheet of glass. Thethickness of the glass partition thereby is increased proportionally;preferably, the number of sheets of glass contained in this stack ofalternating sheets of glass and PVB layers, with outer glass sheets,shall not exceed 4 at the very most, or in particular 3.

[0024] In the bulletproofing and shatterproofing application of theinvention, the use of hardened glass, that is, glass having beensubjected to a thermal hardening treatment, is avoided because of itstendency to break into many small-sized splinters on the first impact ofa bullet. The sheets of glass here are composed of annealed glass orchemically reinforced glass which advantageously are damaged onlylocally after having sustained a bullet impact.

[0025] The outer sheet 1 of the glass partition also could consist ofannealed glass or chemically reinforced glass, its thickness beingequivalent to that of the vitroceramic sheet 1 of FIG. 1.

[0026] All the sheets and layers making up the glass partition are, ofcourse, transparent.

[0027] According to a first principal embodiment of the invention,represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, at least one of the protuberances consistsof a metal insert 3 of stainless steel penetrating into the laminatedglass partition to an approximate depth of some fifteen millimeters andemerging by about the same amount.

[0028] In accordance with FIG. 1, insert 3 is located in the extensionof layer 2; its thickness also is 3 mm.

[0029]FIG. 2 represents a variant of the same embodiment in which insert3, identical to that which has just been described, is located in theextension of sheet 2, made of vitroceramics or, possibly, of annealed orchemically reinforced glass. Insert 3 also emerges from the laminatedstructure by some fifteen millimeters.

[0030] Insert 3, however, is not represented here in direct contact withsheet 2 made of vitroceramics or glass, but slightly separated. Asinsert 3 and sheet 4 are partially countersunk in the case of one, andalmost completely in the case of the other, in an adhesive layer 9 madeof PVB, the latter, in the course of manufacture of the glass partition,will be likely to creep, including into the space left unoccupiedbetween insert 3 and sheet 2. It is possible, however, to limit thisunoccupied space to the point of eliminating it, the adhesive layer 9then being replaced by two independent layers. By way of comparison, itis noted that the creep of the PVB in layer 2 of FIG. 1 is limited by aside of sheet 1, the edge of insert 3 and a side of sheet 4, possibly tosome minor, negligible seepages at the sheet 1-insert 3 and insert3-sheet 4 interfaces.

[0031] The second principal embodiment is represented in FIG. 3. Theglass partition represented is distinguished essentially from that ofFIG. 2 in that at least one rigid protuberance is formed by the emergingportion of a continuous sheet 2 made of glass or vitroceramics, inparticular of chemically reinforced glass, with an area in excess ofthat of the other sheets making up the glass partition.

[0032] Sheet 2 is completely covered, except for its lower edge, in anadhesive layer 9 of polyurethane (PU). Under these circumstances, thecreeping of the PU may be utilized during the construction of thelaminate. When sheet 2 is made of chemically reinforced glass, it isstrongly recommended to protect the emerging portion thereof,considering its susceptibility to scratching. In order to do so, aftermanufacture of the sheet, an encapsulation of the emerging portion ofthe exposed sheet 2 in a film of suitable plastic also may beimplemented.

[0033] According to an embodiment represented in simplified form in FIG.4, a glass partition is made up of an outer sheet or a stack of sheets10 and an inner stack of sheets 11. The stack has an area less than thatof the sheet or stack 10, so that the periphery of the second extendsuniformly beyond that of the first.

[0034] The sheet or stack 10 is duly made up of a sheet of chemicallyreinforced glass, while stack 11 is of the type described previously inrelation to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0035] A peripheral metal belt 12 is joined at one and the same time tothe sheet or stack 10 and to the stack 11, in the manner represented inthe Figure; a joining by gluing may be considered.

[0036] This type of configuration achieves excellent bulletproof andshatterproof properties. The whole constituted by the edge of the sheetor stack 10 and the belt 12 may be inserted into the fillister of anopening or simply positioned supported and more or less nested inrelation to the structure of this opening directed outward, according tothe shapes of openings used.

[0037] Although the bulletproof and/or shatterproof glass partitions ofthe invention are suitable for the building trade as well as for alltransport vehicles, the glass partitions for road-transport vehicles,and specifically fixed or in particular movable lateral glass partitionsfor private armored vehicles, are especially contemplated.

[0038] Advantageously, the rigid protuberance or protuberances has/havea thickness equivalent to that of a conventional glass partition for anautomotive vehicle, and thus easily are inserted into the fillisterinstead of a conventional glass partition.

[0039] In the case of a glass partition which is movable, generally inthe vertical direction, the problem of susceptibility to scratching of aprotuberance made of chemically reinforced glass, necessitating itscovering or encapsulation, derives precisely from these back-and-forthmovements, producing friction in the fillister.

[0040] According to another advantageous characteristic, the outersurface of the glass partition is placed exactly in the continuity ofthe body. The aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle thereby areimproved, in known manner, through a decrease in its coefficient ofpenetration in air.

[0041] The glass partition of the invention is distinguished inparticular in the sense that the holding of the glass partition in thefillister continues to be ensured, to a great extent, after the firstimpact, so that a resistance to a second impact, or even to a subsequentimpact, may be achieved, according to the laminated structures used, thenature of the projectiles and the force of firing. By comparison withknown armored glass partitions, that of the invention withstands heavierprojectiles, more forceful and more numerous impacts, whethersimultaneous or consecutive.

1. Laminated, armored, bulletproof and/or shatterproof glass partition,characterized in that it comprises, over at least a portion of itsperiphery, one or several rigid protuberances, each of them perceptiblycorresponding to a plane parallel to the surface defined by the glasspartition or the extension of this surface, and having a thicknessallowing it to be inserted at least in part, temporarily or permanently,in the fillister of the opening for the glass partition.
 2. Glasspartition in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that said rigidprotuberances are in the extension of a single sheet making up the glasspartition or of a single group of such adjacent sheets.
 3. Glasspartition in accordance with claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that saidor at least one of said protuberance(s) is/are made up of an insert (3)in particular of metal positioned each time partially inside thelaminated structure constituting the glass partition, in the extensionof one or several adjacent sheets (2) forming the latter, made of glassor vitroceramics or plastic.
 4. Glass partition in accordance with claim3 , characterized in that said insert (3) is positioned in the extensionof a single interpolated adhesive layer (2) of polyvinylbutyral (PVB)making up the glass partition.
 5. Glass partition in accordance withclaim 1 or 2 , characterized in that said or at least one of saidprotuberance(s) is constructed as part of a sheet of vitroceramics orglass (2), in particular of chemically reinforced glass, and constitutesthe emerging portion thereof, possibly covered in plastic (9) orencapsulated in a plastic film.
 6. Glass partition in accordance withany of claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that its outer surface, likelyto be damaged first by a projectile, is formed by a sheet of glass orvitroceramics (1).
 7. Glass partition in accordance with any of claims 1to 6 , characterized in that it comprises successively, inward inrelation to said protuberance or protuberances, that is, toward thecockpit of the vehicle or the interior of the structure protected, astack of alternating sheets of glass (4, 6) and adhesive layers (5) ofpolyvinylbutyral (PVB), with outer sheets of glass (4, 6), then aninterpolated sheet (7) of polyurethane (PU), then a sheet (8) ofpolycarbonate (PC) generally coated with a hard scratch-resistantlacquer and constituting the inner surface of the glass partition. 8.Glass partition in accordance with any of claims 1 to 7 for a transportvehicle, characterized in that the rigid protuberance or protuberanceswhich it comprises have a thickness equivalent to that of a conventionalglass partition for a transport vehicle.
 9. Glass partition inaccordance with claim 8 in which the outer surface is positioned in thecontinuity of the body.
 10. Lateral automotive glass partition inaccordance with claim 8 or 9 fixed or movable in the vertical orhorizontal direction.